To gnudi or gnocchi, that is the question. Today, we gnudi. Gnudi are very similar to gnocchi, but these particular dumplings emphasize cheesiness. Whereas gnocchi are potato-based, gnudi are a ricotta-based pasta. It’s very much like biscuit dough, wet and very sticky. I love these dumplings, they’re light (yes, I promise!) and so delicious.

I like to start with two things: getting a big pot of water under high heat so it’s boiling and salted by the time my gnudi are ready. I also line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a generous layer of flour. Having these two steps already in place will make the gnudi process more efficient. The biscuit-like dough is made with whole milk ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses. They’re surprisingly light in density, yet rich in texture..

An ice cream scoop shapes the dough into perfectly-sized dumplings that I plunk onto the awaiting sheet tray and gently roll around to coat each dumpling in flour. Once I’ve scooped out all of the dough, I take a sieve and dust more flour over the top of the dumplings before gently rolling each one into a ball. Don’t squish or press! With the pot of boiling water ready, I use a handheld pasta strainer and gently release a batch of dumplings into their salty bath. The dumplings are ready once they all float to the surface. The strainer is called upon to lift these plump dumplings from the water onto an awaiting platter.

Serve these with your favorite sauce. I like an arribbiata because it’s a bit spicy, but a good tomato sauce will work beautifully. You can also get creative with a herby lemon-olive oil and more parmesan cheese. Ricotta gnudi are light and cheesy dumplings full of comfort and are packed with deliciousness. Fresh pasta like this is so easy to make and so worth the little bit of effort. Enjoy!

This recipe is featured in our online cooking class, Homemade Pasta Online Class.

Click the link above to watch the step-by-step video of how to make this recipe!

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